The Londonderry sifter. (South Londonderry, Vt.) 1883-19??, 1887-06-02

that He did not know her name, but
promised to find out. ! am bound TO
get acquainted with her, and If she's all
right--she has good blood, as her feet
show-and she'll have me, by Jove, I'll
make her Mrs. Exton."
There was something so comical in the
idea of man choosing wife by her
feet that laughed outright, and so did
he.
Exton came in week after, and
among other things I asked him if
he had found tho young lady with the
pretty feet. lilo nodded, looked grave
and at once began to talk about new
plants in tho shop, ono, n fuschia, in par
ticular.
ut is new" said, ''but will not be
for sale till next year. l am getting up
a stock. II you admire that SO much,
you ought to look at the one have at
my house. 1t is covered with bloom"
81 should very much like to see it," he
said.
That is easy" l replied. 81 dine at
three o'clec'1 on Sunday. II you will
come then and take dinner with me Pll
show you the fuschia and something
finer--the handsomest baby in New
York"
"With pleasure" said Exton. "The
plant is attractive and the baby -.-irrc-
sistiblc."
Exton came according to invitation.
After dinner, and he had sufficiently ex-
amincd and admired tho fuschia, Betty
brought in the baby. Exton's praise of
the child quite won my wlfe's heart. 1t
was pronounced to be a prodigy. and
Exton snapped his fingers at it, aud
chooky- chooed for it In away that would
have done credit to an experienced
family man; and he wound up by giving
the nursemaid some advice about it
management which, to make it more I'M
pressivc, as he said, he expressed in Ger
man, which he spoke huently.
Exton came to see us again, on some
prctext, and acquired the habit of COM
ing frequently. He never seemed to have
enough of that baby and as when
ever he came it had to be brought in, and
kept there, my wife got used to it and
left him with the baby and its nurscy
while she began to build an air castle.
''You may depend ON it, john" said
she, "that the baby will profit by this.
Mr. Exton is very fond of Marmadukc,
and as he ha, neither chick nor child and
is not marrying man l shouldn't be
surprised il he left it a mic, penny"
smiled, for had no hopes of that
kind. My wife often REQUIRED to it, but
suddenly dropped the subject aud said
no moro about it.
| Ono day there came letter with a
foreign postmark addressed to Betty.
She translated its contents to my wife
in confidence, and they had confab
over it. Then there vs. 4 deal of SOW
ing going on. The sewing machine was
kept busy. but it was always showed
aside when I came in, with bushes from
the girl and giggling from my wife. l
supposed they were making something
for me against my birthday, and kept
very quiet, to let them have the satisfac-
tion of surprising me. But when my
birthday had come and gone, and there
was nothing said, was little puzzled.
One day, later ONT was pleasant.
sunny day in the Indian S Summer
was detained at nome till near ten
o'clock. Betty had gone out to air the
baby. went to the station of the ele-
vated road in the next street, and when
half way up the steps CHANGED to look
down tho cross street. There I saw
Betty wheeling Marmaduke's carriage
on the sidewalk, and alongside of her
walked Mr. Exton, who was talking to
her earnestly. A policeman, new one
on the beat, caught my eye, and with a
slight wink nodded his head toward the
couple.
"Well," said to myself, drawing Q
long breath, 81 am astonished, to say
the least"
That afternoon Exton lounged into
my shop and asked him into my back
office, whence l had previously elected
the clerk.
'Mr. Exton," j said, II have always
had great respect for you, but"
'Butl" he interrupted. "Docs thai
mean that have lost your respcctT
"Not quite" replied, 'but l WIS
sorry to see you to-day filling our little
Bctty's head with foolish notions. She
is a good girl, even if she be nothing
but nursemaid--'
Here he interrupted me again.
Il beg your pardon, Judkins; but she
is something more than nursemaid.
She is a gcntlcwoman, every inch, and
her filling the position she does, unde
the circumstances, is no discredit te
her."
81 don't say Sat it is; but as you dc
not intend to marry her"
"But do intend to marry her." h,
again interrupted, "and in three weeks
time. AS she has no relatives here, tn,
German consul has been good enough,
at my request, to represent them a
he wedding, and with their full con
sent"
0 / merely stared at him.
, II probably owe you an expl alton,
! he said. Don't you remember l tolt
, you intended to find the owner o
| those little shoes and if could win he
| to make her my wifel When l came +
, your house soon found that she wa
Il n